Newcomer from ON., Can.

[missmyboyssomuch]

Hi, I saw that someone wanted newcomers to post so I hope this is the right spot! My story is quite similar to a lot of people on here. I guess that is why we arrived here to begin with!
C.P.S. took my 2 boys when I called to ask them for help. That was the worst mistake I have ever made in my life- calling them for help. I was running out of ideas on how to control my 12 and 14 year old boys. Mainly the oldest one had decided that he didn't have to listen to me anymore and the youngest one was following his brother. I had taken parenting classes for teens with behavorial problems and he had attended anger management class and through school was in a behavioral (sp?) program.
Anyhow after I asked them for help and they didn't offer me anything I continued to try basic discipline eg. taking computer time away, xbox away and that sort of thing. They sent someone over to check up on things and they were taking notes of everything I said to them and I did say to them I needed to get control of my oldest.
About 2 months later they came in on a Thursday around 6 p.m. with police and all and took BOTH of them. I fought everything they did as hard as I could with my legal aid appointed lawyer who was a terrible lawyer. I wanted her to say this and that to the judge and she was too intimidated to say anything at all. Of course they don't go by the term innocent until proven guilty. Thats a laugh. I never got to say my part and they always got to say everything they wanted. I went back to court about 8 times because I refused to sign an agreement with them. Wait...it gets worse......
Finally they (CPS) had a new lawyer start with them and I brought my youngest into court with me that day and he told the judge that he wanted to come home. Their lawyer said that she was prepared to let them come home every w/e and one visit during the week. My lawyer advised me to sign on this and then do a status review in a year. My papers said every w/e ect... for visitation and their papers crossed that out and said 4 times/month. I wouldn't sign it because of that and the CPS supervisor who was there said not to worry that to keep it the way they had it because I would get them lots during the summer and that it was better this way. I was After I signed it and we were presenting it to the judge - the judge said to me that she understood that this was a very hard thing for me to do. My lawyer told the judge that the only reason I signed it was because I was offered increased time with them.
I went in to CPS to get the visitation schedule and they only had them coming for 4 days/month and NOT A DAY MORE! I was livid beyond belief! I told my worker the whole story and she didn't believe me (she wasn't ever in court) It came down to that I had to see her supervisor and when we had that meeting I asked them why the lawyer said I could have them every w/e and do you know what she had the audacity to say?...... "Well she (lawyer) had to say something to the judge" !! OMG... I thought WTF?? So apparently the worker made the schedule based on the agreement of 4 days/month and wouldn't listen to me at all when I told her what was said.
I know this is a lONG note....sorry it is so complicated! I also wanted to mention that the workers from CPS (with the exception of one who left to go to a bigger city) have ALL treated me like I am beneath them. They are condescending and speak to me like I am in kindergarten. I am a R.N. and deal with a lot of pts., Drs. families and I NEVER talk to any of them that way! and I am not used to getting spoken to that way since I was probably 15 years old!
One last thing..... I ended up going into a deep depression because of all this and the loss of my boys. They mean everything to me and to have them taken away was more than I could handle. I totally would stay in bed until my visitation days and then back to bed. Tried a few different antidepressants and finally after 2 years found the right one and I am not in bed anymore. Still not happy because I don't have them here but am planning on doing a status review for my youngest IF I can find a good lawyer in my area. If anybody knows of one in the S.W. Ontario area can you please let me know!
Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you've gotten this far down!) Sorry it is so long!

[DanZ]

They're in Toronto, and they're expensive, but you can't do much better than the team from Wilson-Christen. They cost because they really are that good. Alexandra Seaton there dealt with our case rapidly and easily, and won easily on each occasion.
Fight hard, and win!

[monkette31]

Another example of lying sneaky court appointed lawyers. Mine also said things to get me to not go to trial and follow cps caseplan. Something needs to be done about these court appointed scoundrels, we are paying them to kill us. I also feel for you and your depression, I became depressed about midway through my case and because of the way it was going and the court appointed lawyers lack of representation.

I would try writing the bar in Ontario and reporting the lawyer.

[missmyboyssomuch]

They're in Toronto, and they're expensive, but you can't do much better than the team from Wilson-Christen. They cost because they really are that good. Alexandra Seaton there dealt with our case rapidly and easily, and won easily on each occasion.
Fight hard, and win!

Thanks I will check into it to see how much they cost ect...

[missmyboyssomuch]

Another example of lying sneaky court appointed lawyers. Mine also said things to get me to not go to trial and follow cps caseplan. Something needs to be done about these court appointed scoundrels, we are paying them to kill us. I also feel for you and your depression, I became depressed about midway through my case and because of the way it was going and the court appointed lawyers lack of representation.

I would try writing the bar in Ontario and reporting the lawyer.

Thanks! I was thinking about reporting her. I did send a letter to the Main lawyer (not sure if I put this part but I researched on the computer to find a lawyer and I found this one who said they would fight C.P.S. so it looked good and that's the one that I called. I saw him ONE time only and then he sent his JR. lawyer in to deal with my case. I often wonder if I would have been paying him instead of court appointed that I would have gotten him instead? So about 3 months after I was done with the lawyer I emailed a letter to the main one and told them EXACTLY how I felt. I worded it nicely and didn't call them any names like I wanted too! but I think they probably got my point. I was so angry with them! I never got a reply back so thats how I think they read it! Now if they are professionals don't you think that they would send me a letter back saying "sorry you were unhappy with our service" or something like that? Not even replying just summed it all up for me exactly how they were. I could send the same copy with add on to the bar I guess. I don't know how to do that but I should Google it and find out.
I definitely want someone else for when I do the status review. Also I want to get an independant Parental capacity assessment done from someone I choose and NOT the one who works with C.P.S.! I felt good after answering all them questions, I know the answers pretty much all right so when I went in for my results I was in shock with him agreeing with C.P.S.! I asked him to see the test scores and he wouldn't show me. He just said "well you know all the answers but do you apply them?" I told the judge that I was going to pay for and get my own done and she agreed that I could but when I found out how much they cost I couldn't do it. (around $1000).
Now, however I DO have the money and I think it would be worth it to get it done.
Yes the depression hit me and I have never had it before in my life.; not even when my Mom passed away when I was 30 and she was 49. I was very sad and upset but no depression came so You know that this hit me very hard. I feel for any parent getting their kids taken away. It is the worst thing in the whole world. Especially in situations like mine which I see are quite a few.

[monkette31]

I think you should try and contact that lawyer you had for court and ask/demand that she go back into court and get your visitation modified. If she does not agree to speak with the children's or dcfs lawyer about your visitation, then I think you should file an appeal to this disposition. If not, you will end up in the same position as me, 18 months later, thinking that you should have appealed this and that way back then. I mean you agreed to the plan because of the visitation, now you know how messed up dcfs is, you should fight NOW, because you might not get a chance later. They told me that my filing an appeal was done in an untimely manner for the beginnings of the case, the dispo and the 6 mos hearing....

They won't let you bring this stuff up later...get back to court.....explain in a legal document your position NOW. Now is better than later....trust me. At bare minimum, it will document your position now....

[missmyboyssomuch]

Thanks for all of your helpful advice! So I can appeal it even if I signed the papers? Also I was thinking I should be able to get a court transcript from the day that the C.P.S. lawyer said she was prepared to let me have them every w/e. I have the date in my calender.

[missmyboyssomuch]

They're in Toronto, and they're expensive, but you can't do much better than the team from Wilson-Christen. They cost because they really are that good. Alexandra Seaton there dealt with our case rapidly and easily, and won easily on each occasion.
Fight hard, and win!

Thanks I will check into it to see how much they cost ect...

Hi, thought I would let you know that I did contact the lawyer firm that you suggested and they emailed me back and said that they weren't taking any cases right now. They did give me 2 other names that I could call though so that was nice of them.

I have found some pretty good things doing research on the internet. My youngest son will be 16 soon and due to the way the law is written here; he can actually leave the group home and they can NOT back him go back (even though he is a crown ward until age 18.) The reason being that any kid can leave home at age 16 so that has to include them as well. C.P.S. actually tried to reform the law not too long ago and that was one thing that they were trying to get changed (the "gray" area between ages 16 and 18.) They wanted the authority to be able to keep them until age 18 if "push came to shove." They did NOT get their wish therefore when he turns 16 he is going to come back home. He wrote to the Childrens Lawyer of Ontario who called him back and confirmed that he could. I need to get a few more details though to be certain. The lawyer still kind of suggested to him that we do a status review and I said by the time we get it to court and then I'm not sure they would approve it (as the worker already said that she would be going against it) that he would be 16 already so wouldn't filing it be a waste of time?